'Report on the Development of Mesopotamia with Special Reference to the Regeneration of the River Systems' [‎20] (26/50)

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(43) It is an axiom that if water is required for irrigation, navigation must
give wav and a railway take its place ; but, as I have already pointed out in this
report, I am disposed to doubt the economic advantage of carrying out, in the near
future, the vast works proposed by Sir William Willcocks, and I am of opinion that
for many years to come there will be from the combined waters of the Euphrates
and Tigris ample supply of water both for irrigation and navigation, and that if
my proposals for the regeneration of the rivers are given effect to there will be a
broad, deep, and well conserved river, admirably adapted for navigation purposes
between Basra and Baghdad, and possibily between Basra and Kurnah and towns
on the Euphrates.
In the matter of railway competition, I consider a well managed river service
will easily hold its own. The position will not be dissimilar to that which obtains
on the Irrawaddy river, in Burma, where a river steamer company has for many
years had to compete with the railway company on all the heads suggested by the
Eesident at Baghdad, and yet has paid a very handsome dividend. The distance
from Rangoon, in Burma, to Mandalay is, by river, 780 miles, and by railway 386
miles. The time taken by a steamer is about 160 hours up-river and 132 hours
.down ; and by rail 19| hours. After a considerable amount of competition and
rate-cutting, the railway company and the steamer company have found it to their
mutual advantage to charge practically the same rates. Freights vary consider
ably according to the nature of the goods, but to take one staple product—namely,
paddy, as an example : the rate from Mandalay to Rangoon is £0-10-6 per ton,
at owner's risk, or 23/6^. per ton at company's risk; a rate which I think will com
pare very favourably with river rates in Mesopotamia before the w T ar.
(44) Whether there will be sufficient trade for both railway and river transport
is another question ; but although in the first few years after the war there might
be some difficulty in making both railway and river pay, there can be little doubt
that in the future there will be sufficient trade to keep both well employed.
{i) CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
(45) (1) In the first place, I would deprecate anything being done in a hurry.
The country is in the most deplorable condition through human abuse in the past,
and it is essential that treatment should be on correct lines—all questions being
dealt with on the broadest basis, instead uf being narrowed down at the outset.
(2) An engineering survey of the country and rivers is a sine qua non, before
money is expendjed on capital works.
Sii William Willcocks s surveys are of the greatest value, so far as they go, but
they were carried out under most difficult conditions and require to be very much
amplified.
, (3) I 11 - m y judgment the problems before the engineer are —•
{ cl ) The regeneration of the rivers as the main drainage channels of the country
and their preservation for navigation if compatible with irrigation.
(6) The economical application of the water for irrigation.
(c) The drainage of the swamps.
I have placed irrigation as second to river regeneration, because I am of the
Opinion that better results will be obtained by improving the rivers and develop
ing local agriculture than by beginning at once with irrigation works on a heroiq
scale,—this will follow in due course.